#Poonch Flood like situation has been created in Poonch district following heavy rains and four persons including a woman were washed away in Mandi and Surankote tehsils while five vehicles and many animals were washed away in the district. Hundred of houses were also damaged due to heavy rains in the district. Poonch district was cut off from rest of the state following closure of its road link to valley and to Rajouri district due to landslides and flash floods at various places. The power supply and telecommunication services across the district have been disrupted, while vehicular traffic was suspended following extensive damage to roads and bridges at various places. The Sher-i-Kashmir bridge connecting Poonch town with Surankote was closed for vehicular traffic following extensive damage to road on both banks of Pulasta river. The Jammu Kashmir Bank building and hundreds of residential houses near the bridge too sustained extensive damage due to flash floods. The main bridge connecting Marhote to Surankote was also washed away due to flash floods. With rivers and nallahs in spate across the district, an alert was sounded and people living in low lying areas on the river side were evacuated to safer places. In Surankote tehsil, the damage was extensive, with road connectivity to Buffliaz disrupted at many places following extensive damage to small bridges over culverts due to floods in Suran river. Police Post Bheramgala was also washed away due to flash flood. The flood waters entered many a buildings on the river side in Surankote town, locals said. The Mughal Road connecting Poonch with valley was also closed following landslides, while the border districts road link with Rajouri district was snapped following extensive damage to roads due to flash floods at various places in the district Official reports said that a woman identified as Misra Begum, wife of Mushtaq Ahmed Lone of Gagdian, Mohammad Irfan, son of Mohammad Aslam of Azmabad and Mohammad Afzal, son of Said Mohammad of Dugrian were washed away by flash floods. The body of Mohammad Irfan was recovered from Chela village while others were still missing when the reports last came in. Official sources added that due to heavy rains a Border Security Force (BSF) Inspector Mohammad Rashid of 154 Battalion lost his life when he was buried in a bunker at Jabri 1st Post in Surankote area of Poonch. An army trooper identified as Sepoy Balbir Singh of 40 Rashtriya Rifles went missing after heavy rains and flood at Mandi in the district. However, there was no official confirmation about the causality of BSF and army jawans till late tonight. Meanwhile, more than hundred people are trapped in Surankote River and efforts are on to rescue them, official sources said. It was learnt that due to heavy rains in Poonch, 400 houses were damaged while nearly hundred shops were also destroyed due to rain water. Five vehicles were washed away by flash flood in Poonch. Ten families comprising 40-50 souls were marooned in Poonch and they were awaiting help from army and local administration till reports last came in. District administration there has sounded a red alert directing the local population not to venture close to the water bodies as the water levels are constantly rising and to vacate weak structures with immediate effect to prevent loss of human life. According to reports, uninterrupted rains since last 4 hours have wreaked havoc in the border areas posing many hardships to local residents living in hilly areas. Following heavy rains water and electricity supply has been disconnected adding to the miseries of the people in far flung areas. The situation is equally bad in Poonch district and the local authorities have warned people from venturing close to the water bodies along with their live stock. Several passenger vehicles were stuck at several places due to landslides along the highway and interior roads. The state government
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 07:15:49 +0000
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